The present invention is directed to a test support comprising an undercarriage and an opening formed in the undercarriage and dimensioned for a turret or the like, said test support adapted to be interchangeably accommodated in an opening formed in the undercarriage of a combat vehicle and dimensioned for a turret or the like. When designing new combat vehicles, design and development are checked by tests with test supports which may be classified in three groups in accordance with their main operational purposes:
component test supports are intended for checking and optimizing individual components such as the weapon control system, reconnaissance assemblies, and fire control sensors;
method test supports are intended for developing concept-specific methods such as firing methods and fire control functions, but also for checking logistic and tactical aspects;
Configuration test supports are intended for determining the optimal configuration including the geometrical aspects of the components and methods.
In this connection procedures, systems and components are improved by iterative optimization, and interaction must be established between the optimization cycles for matching components, systems and methods with each other.
Such an optimization process starts with requirements which cannot be satisfied any longer by existing systems. To satisfy such requirements, ideas for a new concept are developed which can be classified in three groups: "methods", "components" and "configurations". The new concept is first tested for components and methods by performing interactive testing and optimizing cycles. As soon as a satisfactory degree of optimization has been achieved, the configuration including the construction of a configuration test support may be commenced. In this respect, however, there arises a problem: with the requirement of realistic test conditions the configuration test support should be as close to the desired final system as possible, i.e. it should approach a prototype. On the other hand, such a prototype cannot readily be modified at low cost. If negative results are obtained in the course of testing, recourse must again be had to the conceptual stage in order to take fundamental remedial action. Therefore, in conventional development procedures there exists the difficulty that any conceptual modification will become more difficult and more expensive as the concept becomes progressively more precise.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a test support of the above-specified kind which can readily be adapted to different configuration methods and permits interactive component optimization at little expense.
For solving the above-specified object it is provided in accordance with the invention that a combat space container can interchangeably be mounted in said opening, said combat space container carrying components and/or equipment to be tested, that the combat space container comprises a cage which is detachably joined to the undercarriage and covered by a roof detachably joined thereto, that the cage accommodates largely invariant components and/or equipment, and that the roof carries components and/or equipment that are to be varied more frequently.
The test support in accordance with the invention provides the effect that any "rigidity of concept" in the advanced stage of system development is prevented. The test support according to the invention permits optimization of configurations and components
under the dynamic conditions of field and combat tests PA0 while including the crew as an integral part of the system PA0 in parallel to the configuration and component optimization and PA0 not only upon complete technical maturity of concept-specific components,
while it is unnecessary to construct a new test support upon each modification of discrete sensitive system parameters, components and/or equipment.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are protected in the subclaims.